Automattic Secures Rights To .blog Domains: To Start Sales Soon

Automattic, owner of WordPress.com announced today that it has “secured the rights to oversee and operate the sale and registration of .blog domains” more than a year after the top-level domain went up for auction and was sold to a mysterious buyer.

.com has been the main choice when it comes to selecting a domain name, but the reality is the extension has become over-saturated, making it nearly impossible to register any reasonable domain name to match one’s identity.

Interested parties will be able to purchase a .blog domain at WordPress.com or through their partner domain name registrars. Domain registration prices are still being finalized, but they will be in the standard range for new top-level domains with some premium pricing for higher-value names.

The domain names will become available through traditional timeframes such as “sunrise” (the period during which trademark owners can purchase domain names) and “landrush” (the time in which applications can be received prior to general availability), Automattic explained.